A stunning audience recording of one of the hottest shows of 1988. I am a soundboard guy but this recording captures that crispness of a board with the audience aesthetic. A keeper for that alone, but the performance is tight and energetic, a taste of 1988 Grateful Dead at their very best. If you want to know what it was like to be at a sweet show 20 rows back in the dead center get this recording.

Look out, look out. This is a spectacular audience by Sean Weber-small reportedly recorded right behind Healy at the sound and light boards. Wow, certainly sounds like it. The performance is also spectacular. Like most deadheads, I’m a Hunter-Garcia composition freak. The Candyman here must be one of the best they’ve ever done. There is plenty creativity as a band in this version, but Garcia throws it all over top with his impassioned vocal effort that is reminiscent of the Dead Set album version from 1980. His guitar solo gets a 10+ second applause from the enthusiastic crowd witnessing the magical and majestic late 1980’s rise of their beloved home team on their home field. This is that perfect situation of intense pressure for the band to kick ass and they exceed it like living, fire-breathing heroes. Warlocks, indeed.

This run of shows at The Greek does not need to be taken in historical context. It stands quite fine on its own as one of the bands best runs of their entire career. For this show, there are many superb highlights and I urge the reader/listener to check out every single song in these sets. Each has something extra and wonderful. The band’s new fully digital equipment and P.A. system is nearly fearsome and certainly was startling in person. It’s obvious that the sound was perfect as the audience gels and coalesces with the band in a way that only happens when everybody in the venue is completely captured by the music both sonically and performance-wise. The companion recording from Weber-small from the same spot is equally dazzling and very highly recommended. I agree with Sir-mix, pretty please with a cherry on top for an upload on the 16th from this same source.

Sean Weber-Small does it again with his PCM-F1 rig. This is a very sweet AUD...who needs the SBD? If you like this recording, check out Sean's 7-15-88, also at the Greek. He says the recording was made with mics spread 10 feet...how cool is that? Nice stereo and spatial 3-D sound. Hey Sean, where is your 7-16-88? I can't find it on the archive. I will give this recording only 4 stars since the file names are scewed up...oh well.

I went to see the GD from 1985 until the end. I think I was very lucky. This is one of my favorite shows, I used to have a soundboard cassette of it, but this audience recording is even better (few flaws, but much better energy as is often the case with AUD recordings). I just think this time was pivotal for the GD. Things that Jerry could only taste after coming back from the coma, and things that were put on hold because of the massive influx of folks due to the "MTV" popularity... they all started to come together here.

The second set is awesome. Box, Victim, GDTRFB, Watchtower, Believe It Or Not, and more... all awesomely played and the energy was incredible. The Greek was always special, and 1988 was the end of the Greek for the Grateful Dead because we just couldn't behave ourselves. Those were the days!!!

I miss these times, and I love this show... so highest rating it is.

Jerry is really into it
great audience


keep on keepin' on

This is a great show from a less listened to year. I'm going to go ahead and give it five stars based on the qaulity of the AUD (excellent) and the energy of the band (Not bad at all).

Recommended.

This recording sounds awesome! I'd never need a sbd of any show if all auds sounded this good.

The files are mislabelled here and on the text file. Here's the actual list;

Crowd/Tuning
Foolish Heart
Greatest Story Ever Told
Althea
Me & My Uncle
Big River
Banter
Candyman
Let It Grow
Crowd/Tuning
Box Of Rain
Victim Or The Crime
Crazy Fingers
Playin' In The Band >
Uncle John's Band >
Drums >
Space >
Space >
Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad
All Along The Watchtower
Believe It Or Not
Throwing Stones>
Not Fade Away
E: Blackbird
E: Brokedown Palace

Something is out of order or mislabled with this show. I tried to download Believe it or Not but instead, started hearing watchtower (a rather fast, upbeat version). So i clicked on Throwing stones, and found my Believe it or not. Dunno what else may be out of order or mislabeled but this one was.
If ya get the chance tho - give it a listen. Not only is the playing right on - but Jerry isn't singing - he's pleading.
It's wonderful.